On July 31, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon participated in an informal consultative meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, which took place in the city of Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, according to the Tajik presidential website.

Rahmon called the meeting a convenient platform for discussing joint approaches to the regional agenda and thanked Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov for the invitation and organizing the event.

In his speech, the Tajik leader drew attention to rising geopolitical tensions, changes in the architecture of international relations, and the emergence of new security threats, calling on countries in the region to jointly and effectively respond to these challenges.

At the same time, he noted the growing interest in Central Asia on the international stage, which, according to him, opens up additional opportunities for expanding trade and economic ties and attracting investment and technology.

Among the priority areas of cooperation, Rahmon highlighted the development of transport corridors and logistics, energy, industry, digitalization, and food security. He also proposed building large oil refineries to produce fuel in Central Asian countries, given the current situation in regional and global energy markets.

The President of Tajikistan paid special attention to the development of cultural and humanitarian ties, calling them an important factor in strengthening friendship, mutual understanding and trust between the peoples of the region.